Russia Granted Asylum to Edward J. Snowden

Russia on 1 August 2013 granted one year Asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the National Security Agency leaker. Snowden, who was staying at the Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for more than a month has shifted to an undisclosed location.

Earlier, the United States wanted Russia to hand over Snowden to it for facing the criminal charges that included espionage for disclosure of secret American internet and telephone surveillance programmes in June 2013. The disclosures made by Snowden, triggered uproar against the US Spy programme, across the world.

About Edward J Snowden

• Edward Joseph Snowden is an American resident, who in June 2013 leaked several details of the mass surveillance programme of US and British Government like PRISM, XKeyscore, and Tempora to Glenn Greenwald of London's The Guardian
• He was a technical contractor for the United States National Security Agency (NSA) and an employee of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• He was born on 21 June 1983

Analysis

Russian decision of awarding a temporary asylum to Snowden and allowed him to walk free out from the Moscow Airport Transit Zone, which may have harsh impacts on its relations with United States. The decision would also have an impact on the Barack Obama’s visit to Moscow to meet the Russian President, Vladimir V. Putin that is scheduled to be conducted in September 2013, after the summit meeting of the Group of 20 nations in St. Petersburg.